Philadelphia—2014-2015 NCARB President Dale McKinney, FAIA, is forming a Future Title Task Force, which will be chaired by 2013-2014 NCARB President Blake Dunn, to review the terminology used for those who are architect candidates and those who are licensed architects.

“The focus of the Task Force is a big topic, fraught with controversy,” McKinney said. “But if we don’t tackle it now, then when? With all that we have accomplished, with our mission clear and our capacity strong, we are at the right moment to continue making history.”

McKinney also discussed how NCARB embraces a culture of collaboration and is committed to relying on our Member Boards to offer guidance. In addition to creating the task force, McKinney spearheaded the decision to place all the educational programs under one committee. Also, regional chairs will now serve on the Procedures and Documents Committee in order to strengthen their roles.

McKinney’s past experiences have given him clarity about NCARB’s path forward. “As we move into the coming fiscal year, I think it is important for all of us to see how those moments of clarity occur when we are focused on the basics,” he said, emphasizing that NCARB must refocus on the basic elements of licensure.

McKinney found his way to architecture in the jungles of Vietnam. “Influenced by anther Recon Platoon soldier who was a landscape architecture graduate, it came to me that I wanted to become an architect,” he told delegates. “That time in my life shaped my world view. It taught me a lot about the value of life. It stays with me today along with the faces of those I served with—including those that we lost along the way.”

What also remains is McKinney’s commitment to protect society and his desire to explore his own creativity. With a deepened connection to his community, he sought out ways to volunteer through architecture. “The ability to give back, shaped by my family and my wartime experience, has only heightened my enjoyment of being an architect.”